TheVerulam Angling
Clubhas
for over forty years organized 10 weeks of
fly-fishing for trout at its Riverside Road fishery
from February to April. Guests may be
taken, see details below. Following the acquisition
by VAC of Ford and Mill lakes at Bellows Mill near
Eaton Bray, Ford Lake was developed into an
additional trout fly-fishing water.

This trout
fishery is open for most of the year and has two
main seasons, February
to June and September to December. Non VAC member
guest tickets are available during the main spring
and autumn seasons at each fishery. The remaining
weeks when the Bellows Mill fishery is open it is
VAC members only.

Any VAC member can fish the trout waters by
purchasing either a season or a day ticket in
advance.

Mal Shaw's super 7lb Rainbow from Riverside Road

The trout fisheries are stocked with
Rainbows. Fishing is by fly only and there
is a strict 3-fish limit per day on both
waters.

We also have a number of brown
trout in Ford Lake that can be fished for on
a Catch & Release (C&R) basis. Members
fishing at Ford Lake must immediately return
any brown trout caught and these do not
count towards the 3-fish limit.

All rainbow trout caught must
be killed and once the limit has been reach
all fishing must cease. A reminder that it
is a VAC rule that all hooks should be
barbless or have the barb flattened. We hope
this will allow the browns to grow on for
future sport.

A prime consideration will be
the welfare of returned brownies and the
committee will monitor the situation
especially if the weather turns too warm.
Notices will advise of any changes to this.

Availability can be checked via the calendar
on the VAC website and an email to
vactroutbm@gmail.com stating your requirements is all that is needed.
Hope to see you on the water soon.

See Panel Below Regarding How to Buy Tickets at
Either Fishery

Our beautiful
Ford Lake

Verulam Trout Ticket Prices
and Dates 2018/9

The following prices and dates were agreed at the
2018 Verulam Trout Annual Meeting.

Venue

Dates

Full Season

Half Season

Full Floating

Half Floating

Day

Off Season *

Riverside Road

09/02/18 to 19/04/18

£108 (1)

£62 (2)

£134 (3)

£72 (4)

£17

N/A

Bellows Mill Spring

22/02/18 to 20/06/18

£87 (5)

N/A

N/A

N/A

£17

£10

Bellows Mill Autumn

27/09/18 to 19/12/18

£87 (5)

N/A

N/A

N/A

£17

£10

Dual

As Above

£103 (6)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Guest

As Above

£25 (7)

* Off Season is at
Ford
Lake, Bellows Mill only and is from 21/06/18
to 31/0718 and 20/12/18 to 31/01/19 inclusive.

(1) One named day per week throughout the season
(10 visits).} also see note 8

(2) One named day per fortnight throughout the
season (5 visits).}“““ “

(3) Any one day per week throughout the season (10
visits).}““““

(4) Any one day per fortnight throughout the season
(5 visits).}““““

(5) A season permit at Ford Lake, Bellows Mill
allows eight visits each season but only once in
each designated week. Details on permit.

(6) A dual permit allows one named day per
fortnight at Riverside Road (5 visits) plus any
day at Bellows Mill (4 visits) at least two
weeks apart throughout the season.

(7) Guest Tickets. One guest may accompany members
to fish under the same rules. A Guest Ticket at
Bellows Mill also allows coarse fishing on Mill
Lake.

NOTE
– Tickets are only available to current VAC members
- to join see the link in the main body of the
Website.

Free Fly Fishing Guidance

In February and March, the
beginning of the trout fishing year, Verulam Trout
usually runan introduction to fly
fishing and casting sessions free of charge.
Although we provide a rod and line for these
sessions many newcomers, understandably, lack the
basic equipment to start fishing straight away. With
this in mind the Club have purchased enough
equipment to allow members to borrow an outfit so
that they can simply buy a day ticket and start
catching.

For a deposit, or outright purchase, of £50 for each
outfit VAC members can then buy an appropriate
fishing ticket, or tickets, and start fly fishing.
The outfit consists
of a matching rod, reel, line and leaders ready
assembled together with an assortment of
flies.

If they are "hooked" on fly
fishing they can then buy tackle of their own choice
at a later date and hand the club's outfit back for
a full refund (less any breakages). If needed free
casting and fishing guidance comes with the package.
Any VAC members can, at any time of the year, take
up this offer by contacting Bob Ring

The exact dates for 2019 sessions
will be announced in January 2019

An Introduction to Fly-Fishing: Riverside Road (indoors) 10am –
2.30

Covers choice of
equipment and techniques of fly-fishing
(refreshments included)

Please contact Richard Russell if you would like to join us at these
fisheries.

2018 Verulam Trout Fly Fishing So Far

Riverside Road

This year our trout fishing started on 9th February
at Riverside Road and with the water levels much
higher than last year the most of early fly
fishermen saw their daily limit of three fish during
the first few weeks. At the end of week two Mal Shaw
landed an exceptional rainbow of 7lbs hooked on a
tiny size 14 Kingfisher Butcher wet fly.

Perversely as we moved into March the weather turned
colder and for the first time in around forty years
of fly fishing we had to close the fishing because
of a covering of ice. It thawed after five days and
the fishing continued without much deterioration.
Although uncomfortable for the anglers the low
temperatures kept the catch rate up but this did
inevitably fall slightly as the stock diminished.

The Dave Marlborough Memorial Match at the beginning
of the last week of the season saw sixteen anglers
catch fourteen fish in two hours; quite a change
from earlier years when the event usually only
resulted in a total catch of around half a dozen
trout.

By contrast to the cool spring the last week of the
season was a mini heat-wave with the highest April
temperatures recorded since 1949 on the final day.
Surprisingly many members still caught their limit
on their last visit of the season making the season
average catch nearly 2.2 trout per visit. A much
better season than last year.

Bellows Mill 2018 Spring
Season

The
spring season fly fishing on Ford Lake at Bellows
Mill ended on 20th June with an average catch of
2.24 fish per angler visit. This is out of a maximum
of 3 fish per visit and is slightly higher than
previous years. As can be expected from this the fly
fishing has been generally good with the high point
being the record for the water being broken with a
rainbow trout of 8lbs 5ozs taken by Dave Hine in
March.

£10 day permits will be
available to VAC members until the end of July when
we will take a break until the autumn season starts
in September.

Any VAC
member interested in an
autumn season permit to fish any eight days from
27/09/18
to 19/12/18 or any other information
regarding Verulam Trout should contact Barry Evans
Verulam Trout Secretary